The Department has two Divisions: Pre-Primary and Primary

MANDATE OF THE DEPARTMENT:

To  provide the lead in the overall coordination, overseeing, regulation, policy  direction, guidance and advise on all matters regarding Basic Education with  priority at achieving equity, quality, relevancy and efficiency.

ROLES OF THE DEPARTMENT:-

  1. Ensure increased access, quality and equity in Pre and Primary Education.
  2. Ensure timely dissemination of policy information and guidelines to all stakeholders.
  3. Coordinate and liaise with District and Municipal authorities on all matters concerning Pre and Primary Education.
  4. Provide optimum monitoring of Pre and Primary Education activities.

KEY FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT

  1. Develop strategies for improving the quality of Pre and Primary Education.
  2. Develop and ensure implementation of appropriate policies, plans and guidelines for  effective coordination and management of Pre and Primary Schools.
  3. Guide, monitor and evaluate the implication of set policies and guidelines, on the teaching  and learning process, in collaboration with the stakeholders.
  4. Ensure effective and timely feedback from all stakeholders of basic education.
  5. Ensure sufficient capacity to manage quality teaching and learning process in the  schools.
  6. Ensure there is value for money in the programmes run under the department.
  7. Ensure oversight and appraisal of all staff under basic education department.
  8. Ensure continuous improvement of all staff under basic education department - Initiate  capacity development programmes for all.
  9. Develop annual budgets for the department.
  • The primary education curriculum has been revised to address reduction of the workload and relevancy of the subjects and content, making learning more skills based than knowledge based. Introducing the Thematic Curriculum for P1 to P3, and the use of local languages as a medium of instruction at that level.
  • The district teachers' ceilings were opened to allow for recruitment of 10,000 more teachers to reduce the pupil to teacher ratio from 85:1 to 53:1 currently.
  • PLE Results have continued to indicate improved performance of candidates for the last three years running.
  • A 15% increase to the teachers' salary, implemented this financial year is intended to improve upon their welfare so as to provide quality education.
  • The learning framework for ECD has been developed to streamline quality teaching at all ECD centers.
  • We have continued to monitor both Pre and Primary schools in the country.
  • We have continued to encourage the district and municipal authorities to equally distribute the teachers within their ceiling to all their schools using the new teacher allocation formula.
  • The number of girls and boys accessing school today is almost equal i.e. 49.5% girls and 50.5% boys (reduced gender parity).
  • Enrolment has continued to raise from 2.2 million in 1996 to 8.3 million pupils in primary schools currently.
  • More classrooms and schools have been constructed and furnished.
  • The completion rate for both boys and girls at primary education has continued to rise for the last three years.
  • Support to district education officers started this financial year and is intended to enhance monitoring at district/municipal levels.
  • The Department and district/municipal authorities have continued to crack down on the ghost schools, ghost teachers and ghost pupils.
  • Recent reports from our monitoring exercise have indicated a reduction in teachers' absence at school.
  • The proposed continued raise of teachers' salaries is intended to improve upon their morale to provide quality education.
  • We intend to continue recruiting teachers to improve upon the teacher pupil ratio.
  • Implementation of the teachers' scheme of service addresses part of their welfare.
  • The support to district education officers started this financial year should continue to be improved upon to enhance monitoring at district level.
  • There is need to improve upon the UPE Capitation Grant allocated per pupil, per year from the current UGX 7,000 to at least UGX 10,000
  • There is need for construction of more classrooms and schools in some districts.
  • There is need to construct more teachers' houses.
  • There is need to revisit some of the guidelines on community participation e.g. the provision of lunch to pupils at schools.
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